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254 Medical Regiment
254 Medical Regiment, Royal Army Medical Corps, is a regiment in the Territorial Army in the United Kingdom. It is within the Army Medical Services (AMS) and primarily recruits from East Anglia. The Regiment's role is to train and provide officers and soldiers to support the Regular Army at home and abroad on military operations. The Regiment recruits doctors, nurses, medics, drivers, vehicle mechanics, chefs and military clerks from all walks of life and trains all individuals to the high standards required by the Army. All members of the Regiment are paid at the same daily rates of pay as their Regular counterparts for each day (or part day) of training that they receive and are also eligible for a tax free lump sum, known as a "Bounty", on completion of all training requirements at the end of each training year. Members of the Regiment have served on operations in Iraq, Bosnia, Cyprus and Afghanistan (where members continue to serve today) alongside their Regular counterparts, providing medical care to troops and civilians alike. The Regiment is also prepared to provide personnel in support of UK Operations, such as disaster relief, community relations and the 2012 Olympics. The Regiment has sub-units at the following locations: *Cambridge - RHQ and 163 Squadron *Norwich - 160 Squadron (Medical Squadron) *Colchester - 161 Squadron (Medical Squadron) *Hitchin - 162 Squadron This Squadron is actually called on the order of battle as Evac Squadron. *Maidstone - 220 Medical Squadron History The regiment was formed in 1983 and was named 254 Field Ambulance. It was first based at the Territorial Army Centre in Coldhams Lane, Cambridge. The regiment was later moved to a new site, formally a transport company depot, on Cherry Hinton Road, Cambridge, where a new TA Centre was built to accommodate them. In the early 1990s detachments were opened in Thetford and Letchworth. The detachment in Thetford was disbanded a short while later, while the detachment at Letchworth remained until 1998. In 1995, following the amalgamation of 257 General Hospital into 256 Field Hospital, 257's Norwich detachment was transferred to 254. Soon after this the regiment was adopted by Cambridge, and became 254 (City of Cambridge) Field Ambulance. In 1999 a new detachment was opened in Hitchin, Hertfordshire to recruit from the North Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire areas. In 2007 the regiment was reorganised into 254 (City of Cambridge) General Support Medical Regiment. As part of the reorganisation the detachments at Cambridge, Hitchin and Norwich were increased to Squadrons, with HQ Squadron at Cambridge, A Squadron at Norwich and Evacuation Squadron at Hitchin. In 2008, B Squadron was formed in Colchester recruiting from the surrounding areas. In 2009 the regiment was again reorganised in line with current defence requirements and became 254 Medical Regiment. During this reorganisation the regiment became a ‘hybrid’ unit (a part-regular, part-TA unit) with a squadron formally of 5 Medical Regiment transferred under its control to become C Squadron. Additionally, the Evacuation Squadron based at Hitchin was renamed as D Squadron. In 2011 C Squadron was re-subordinated back into the Regular Army leaving 254 Medical Regiment as a complete TA (Volunteer) Regiment with Squadrons at Cambridge, Norwich, Colchester and Hitchin. On October 1, 2013 220 Medical Squadron, based in Maidstone, Kent, re-subordinated from 4 Med Regiment to 254 Med Regiment. Squadrons *163 - HQ Squadron - Cambridge *160 Squadron - Norwich *161 Squadron - Colchester * 162 Squadron - Hitchin * 220 Medical Squadron - Maidstone External links * Official website Category:Military units and formations established in 1983 Category:Units of the Royal Army Medical Corps Category:Territorial Army (United Kingdom)